Protictis, Matthew, 1937

Lofgren, Donald, Mckenna, Malcolm, Honey, James, Nydam, Randall, Wheaton, Christine, Yokote, Bryan, Henn, Lexington, Hanlon, Whitney, Manning, Stephen & Mcgee, Carter, 2014, New records of eutherian mammals from the Goler Formation (Tiffanian, Paleocene) of California and their biostratigraphic and paleobiogeographic implications, American Museum Novitates 2014 (3797), pp. 1-60 : 8-9

Protictis cf. P. agastor Gingerich and Winkler, 1985

HOLOTYPE: PU 21311 , left dentary with m1–2 from Cedar Point Quarry, Polecat Bench Formation , Wyoming.

REFERRED SPECIMEN: RAM 7246, left dentary fragment with partial m1 and alveoli of m2 from RAM locality V200001, member 4a ( fig. 2E–G ).

DESCRIPTION: RAM 7246 is a dentary fragment found in a broken concretion whose m1 is missing the anterior face of the trigonid below the apex of the paraconid ( fig. 2E–F ). The trigonid is much taller than the talonid. RAM 7246 has a large protoconid and smaller paraconid and metaconid that are equal in height. The talonid basin is deepest adjacent to the trigonid, and a large hypoconid, smaller hypoconulid and entoconid, and low and very small entocristid are present ( fig. 2G ). The hypoconulid is medial, with the entoconid positioned directly adjacent, so they appear twinned. The alveoli of m2 are sediment filled, with the anterior alveolus wider than long, and the posterior alveolus longer than wide. RAM 7246 has a length of 5.0 mm (minimum, because of breakage) with a trigonid width of 4.39 mm and talonid width of 3.37 mm. Mandible depth beneath the talonid of m1 is 8.75 mm.

DISCUSSION: RAM 7246 represents a second species of Protictis from RAM locality V200001, which is larger than P.paralus (RAM 6927). Species of Protictis can usually be separated by size ( Gingerich and Winkler, 1985; Meehan and Wilson, 2002) and RAM 7246 is most similar to P. haydenianus and P. agastor in this respect. P. haydenianus differs from P. agastor in having a more sectorial m2, with a shorter and less massive trigonid ( Gingerich and Winkler, 1985), but m2 is not present in RAM 7246. However, two lines of evidence suggest RAM 7246 is probably P. agastor . Protictis haydenianus is well known from Torrejonian strata and questionably known from Tiffanian strata ( Gingerich and Winkler, 1985), and Protictis agastor and RAM 7246 are both known from mid-Tiffanian strata (this report). Also, P. paralus (RAM 6927) is found at the same locality as RAM 7246, which is important because P. agastor and P. paralus are rarely found in Tiffanian strata but occur together at the Chappo Type locality and Cedar Point Quarry in Wyoming ( Gingerich and Winkler, 1985; Gunnell, 1994), both mid- Tiffanian sites ( Archibald et al., 1987; Lofgren at al., 2004b). Based on size and its Tiffanian occurrence, RAM 7246 is tentatively referred to Protictis cf. P. agastor .

Order TAENIODONTA Cope, 1876

Family STYLINODONTIDAE Marsh, 1875

Genus indeterminate

REFERRED SPECIMEN: RAM 15328, lower canine fragment from RAM locality V200612, member 4a ( fig. 2H–I ).

DESCRIPTION AND DISCUSSION: RAM 15328 is the distal end of a tooth about 2 cm in length and width, with enamel coating half of the tooth’s longitudinal axis, a strong indicator that it represents a taeniodont ( fig. 2H–I ). RAM 15328 was compared directly to canines and incisors of Psittacotherium and Ectoganus housed at the AMNH and it was most similar in size and shape to AMNH 3392 and AMNH 3390, lower canines identified as Psittacotherium ( Schoch, 1986) . Although RAM 15328 too is fragmentary to be assigned to Psittacotherium with confidence, it does represent the only reported record of a taeniodont from the West Coast of North America.

Order PRIMATES Linnaeus, 1758

Family PAROMOMYIDAE Simpson, 1940

Figures

FIGURE 2. Mandibles and teeth of Protictis, Bessoecetor, and Taeniodonta. A. Occlusal view of RAM 9099, right dentary fragment with m2–3 of Bessoecetor septentrionalis from RAM locality V200510; B. labial view of RAM 9099. C. Lingual view of RAM 6927, a right dentary fragment with c, p1–p2, p4, and partial m1 of Protictis paralus from RAM locality V200001 (with partial imprint of dentary); D. occlusal view of p1–2, p4–m1 of RAM 6927. E. Lingual view of partial m1 of RAM 7246, left dentary fragment with partial m1 of Protictis cf. P. agastor from RAM locality V200001; F. labial view of partial m1 of RAM 7246; G. occlusal view of RAM 7246. H. Posterior view of RAM 15328, partial lower canine of a taeniodont from RAM locality V200612; I. anterior view of RAM 15328. Scale bar for C–D also applies to E–G.